Island Nostalgia

Rosewood Kona Village makes vacationing with a baby still feel like a relaxing getaway 

Most of my memories of Hawaii begin in a concrete lobby that could just as easily be in Miami or Mexico, save for the fragrant lei draped around my neck insisting otherwise. Yet from the moment we arrive at Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort on the Big Island, it’s clear that the property truly reflects the importance of nature in Hawaiian culture. There is no endless hallway of identical doors, just sprawling lawns accented by palms and corn hole, an open air check-in area with hanging chairs, and a sense of peace.

My family and I are led to our freestanding hale—one of 150 spread across the oceanfront property. Inside, contrary to the typical floral aesthetic, the decor echoes the lava and sand. Light wood and dark stone carry throughout the room to the spacious bathroom with both indoor and outdoor showers. Interior designer Nicole Hollis created a timeless design that fits in perfectly for Hawaii, yet wouldn’t look out of place in Norway.  

Our lanai overlooks the family pool, but what makes me excited first isn’t the view—it’s the fully stocked changing table for our baby. Diaper bin, bottle warmer, wipes, diapers, crib, stuffed animal—the baby amenities are the best I’ve encountered. It's a thoughtful touch that makes a world—or entire suitcase worth—of difference for exhausted parents. 

A hazy sunset bathing the property in golden light beckons us outside. We walk to dinner along crushed coral pathways, bikes resting lazily against palms, the family pool reflecting the orange clouds like a watercolor painting. 

At Moana, we sink into a couch facing the ocean. After much deliberation, I order the shellfish ramen: Kona prawns, clams, hunks of tofu and pork belly, all swimming in a garlicky broth. It’s the perfect elevated comfort food. Moana’s menu is abundant with fresh seafood that’s local, but not too local. Thanks to the “Try Wait” initiative—a decade-long moratorium on fishing along the 3.6 mile stretch of coastline that includes Kona Village, we get to enjoy local seafood and the view of the ocean flourishing with sea life and birds. It’s the best of both worlds, really. 

The next morning, we return to Moana for breakfast, where the spread feels more like a holiday brunch than a hotel buffet. With our daughter going to town on fresh fruit in a Lalo highchair (another feels-like-home baby amenity), we enjoy omelettes, french toast, and matcha pancakes with all of the toppings.

Continuing the morning at a leisurely pace, I walk a convenient several yards from our room to Asaya Spa. A footbridge leads me over lava rock (from an 1801 eruption) to the treatment area. Post massage, I awake in a relaxed daze to the striking contrast of the pitch black lava meeting the bright blue sky, broken only by a palm tree in the distance and an outdoor bathtub. 

I join my family at Kahuwai Cookhouse for lunch. The on-property restaurants all feel distinctly different yet distinctly Hawaiian. Kahuwai highlights the wood-fired cooking of Hawaiian cowboy culture. With our feet in the sand, we feast on oysters, ahi poke, a crispy chicken sandwich, and carnitas tacos. 

We spend the afternoon lounging by the family pool, enjoying easy conversation with other parents, toys and bowls of shave ice resting on our daybeds. We leave only to explore the on-site ancient petroglyphs, grazing goats trotting away from us into the bushes. 

And then, saving the best for last, there are the bars. Kona Village’s storied past lends a few perks to the Rosewood property that opened in July 2023. Exhibit A: the closest bar to the ocean in all of Hawaii. Although current regulations would never allow building a structure that close to the lapping tide, Talk Story bar is standing as strong as its drinks. 

We spend our last sunset at Shipwreck Bar & Sushi. Tucked near the adult pool, a beached sailboat “New Moon” (once belonging to Kona Village’s founder Johnno Jackson) has been transformed into a hotspot for sushi and tropical cocktails. The chairs lining the starboard side are all taken, so we grab a table and order banana coladas, lilikoi margaritas, and a spread of sashimi. With its masts reaching into the dreamy sunset, we both agree this is the coolest bar we’ve ever seen.

While honoring its history, Kona Village is just as mindful of the future. 8,000 solar panels power the resort, and the on-site farm supports the Island Roots communal dinners that foster conversation with strangers-turned-friends. As we pack for the red-eye back to California, looking into my future, I see many more visits to Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort—a place we can’t wait to return to, to make more family memories amidst the natural beauty of Hawaii.